We Are Movie Geeks All things movies… as noted by geeks.

December 23, 2021

LICORICE PIZZA – Review

Filed under: Review — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Jim Batts @ 9:25 am

Even though many families exchange their presents on the night before the big day, the best Christmas present may just be unwrapped the afternoon of the 25th, at least for movie fans of a “certain age”. Yes see, that’s when this nostalgic gem will spread across the country’s theatres. It’s hard to fathom that its setting is almost fifty years ago, but its director/writer has made his mark by meticulously recreating the past. Plus he’s particularly adept at getting the presiding pop culture touches just right. And he’s not just “churning them out” as we haven’t seen a feature from him in the last four years. So, instead of munching down a slice of pie or cake after the big holiday meal, savor a sweet and salty ( and a bit tart) slice of LICORICE PIZZA.


Roll the cinema clock back to 1973 in the California burg of Sherman Oaks. Sometimes actor/full-time high schooler 15-year-old Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) notices a pretty young woman offering a hand mirror to the line of students waiting to sit for their class picture. She’s the photographer’s assistant Alana Kane (Alana Haim). As he’s being seated for the shot, Gary makes his move, introducing himself to her and giving a brief rundown of his resume. She might have spotted the big multi-family (think the Bradys and the Bradfords from “Eight is Enough”) feature film “Under One Roof”. And though she dismisses him by revealing that she’s 25, Gary still invites her to meet him at a swanky “watering hole”, Tail o the Cock. That night she decides to get out of her house (she still lives with her parents and sisters) and shocks Gary by showing up. Thus begins several months of flirtations between the two, as they squabble, yet somehow stay connected, especially during Gary’s career ambitions. When his acting gigs start to dry up (thanks mainly to his behavior during a TV talk show appearance with a big-time star), he dives (sorry) into the waterbed business (where a famous ex-hairdresser turned film producer is a difficult client), then opening a pinball arcade (they were illegal in the state till then). Alana tries to go out on her own by auditioning for a movie starring a boozy former “matinee idol” and then working for a mayoral candidate, Joel Sachs (Benny Safdie). But though they go their separate ways after one of many big verbal “blow-outs’, the magnetic attraction between the two keeps them in each other’s orbit.

It’s surprising that the two stars of the film are really making their feature film debut. Hoffman (no relation to Dustin, rather the son of Phillip Seymour) actually has no TV or film credits at all, yet has authenticity as though he, like his character, has been “on the boards’, all his life. He’s got an endearingly goofy “cockiness’ as he continues his hustle, “selling himself” to backers of his “big money” schemes and to any “foxy lady” he encounters. And the “foxiest” of all may be the delightful Haim (who’s been in several music videos with her sisters as part of the alt. rock trio “Haim”) who projects a world-weary sullenness, although she’s still exploring her options. Alana’s eager to escape the ‘sanctuary” of her family, but is still unsure of her direction. Is it acting, retail, politics? She has a refreshing unpredictability, going from cool “party chick” to screeching harpy (the scene of her verbally pummeling her sister as they share some “herb” is a giddy riot). Happily the duo has an exceptional supporting cast popping in for many memorable scenes. Harriet Sansome Harris is ferocious and a bit sad as the extremely “tightly wound” Hollywood agent Mary Grady. John Michael Higgins give a fearless “non-PC” performance as exotic restaurant mogul Jerry Frick. As “past his prime” leading man Jack Holden, Sean Penn is a twinkling tipsy gasbag, a good match for bellowing blowhard director Rex Blau played with scratchy-voiced tenacity by Tom Waits. Ah, but the film’s true secret weapon, guilty of scene-stealing in the first degree, is Bradley Cooper as a true, but very real, outrageous character, “mega-producer” Jon Peters (rumored to be the inspiration for Beatty’s role in SHAMPOO). He’s pure ego-fueled 70s “blow-dried” machismo, all swagger in his tight white jumpsuit, and somehow threatening Gary while bragging about his “luck with the ladies”. He makes you wish for a solo biopic, though keeping that energy level might exhaust Cooper and the audience (I’d happily risk it).

The finished film feels so authentic, that’s it’s hard to believe that writer/director (also a producer and co/cinematographer) Paul Thomas Anderson wasn’t a teen in the swingin’ 70s (he would’ve been three at the time). This makes an excellent “prequel” to his own BOOGIE NIGHTS, while being a sequel “in spirit” to Tarantino’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD. Both expand on “Tinseltown” legends and myths, while having their fictional characters interact with real life stars (though nobody in this film is an prominent as Sharon tate in the 2019 flick). Plus Anderson’s homage characters are easier to pinpoint (Penn’s Jack is really Bill and Gary’s angry red-headed co-star is also in a recent film). The casting works so well, especially the decision to pair Haim with her real-life family (her pop has a way with “f-bombs”). The expert art direction, the costumes, and the hairstyles, work with the pop culture background bits (TV screens, a superb soundtrack playlist, along with an eye-popping segement at a “teen fair”) make us feel as though we’re joining the long gas lines of the era. But it’s not all “mood rings” and “pet rocks”. Gary’s run-in with “John Law” is terrifying and harrowing, while a couple in the “closet’ is truly heart-breaking. But for most of its “blink and they’re done” runtime, this is a true joyride of nostalgia set in a time we never thought we’d miss. Really, this romp is the perfect “chaser” to these brutal last couple of years. I know I had a “hankering” for another slice, heck I’d devour another whole pie, of the tasty LICORICE PIZZA.


4 Out of 4

LICORICE PIZZA opens in theatres everywhere on Christmas Eve, including St. Louis’ Hi-Pointe Theater

September 27, 2021

Here’s the New Trailer For Paul Thomas Anderson’s LICORICE PIZZA Starring Bradley Cooper and Sean Penn

Filed under: Trailer — Tags: , , , , — Tom Stockman @ 9:53 am

LICORICE PIZZA is written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and is coming soon only to theaters. Here’s the trailer:

LICORICE PIZZA is the story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and falling in love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973. Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film tracks the treacherous navigation of first love.

LICORICE PIZZA stars Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, and Benny Safdie

November 16, 2018

THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS – Review

Filed under: Review — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Cate Marquis @ 5:56 am

Tim Blake Nelson is Buster Scruggs in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, a film by Joel and Ethan Coen.

Joel and Ethan Coen spin not one but six Western tales in their excellent anthology THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS. Starring a fine cast including James Franco, Liam Neeson, Tom Waits, Zoe Kazan, Brendon Gleeson, Tim Blake Nelson and others, the film’s title is actually the name of the first tale in a short story anthology. What connects the tales is their Old West setting and also that they are basically campfire tales – the kind of suspense-filled tales best told around a campfire – sometimes scary, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but often with a twist or surprise and a touch of the surreal or supernatural. These stories evoke both ghost stories and O. Henry tales, with a dash of adventure, but they are transformed into signature Coen brothers tales. That means dark humor, twisted expectations, irony, and a certain amount of violence – basically, anything but ordinary.

Each tale features iconic Western characters and themes, referencing both classic Western films like HIGH NOON and adventure tales like those of Jack London. But like all good campfire stories, there is some trickery afoot and the Coens play on our expectations of these familiar characters and situations, recombining them in clever, unexpected ways that make for gripping, surprising stories – some suspenseful, some heartbreaking, some darkly comic but all highly entertaining. All deal with death in some way, appropriate for the ghost-story flavor of campfire stories. Perfectly evoking the sense of campfire tales, the Coens twist and spoof the Western genre, adding their signature irony and dark humor. Despite the anthology form, THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS is classic Coen brothers..

The film opens with an old-fashioned feel, presenting its stories as drawn from a old book of short stories. The opening shot is of the cover of an old-fashioned leather-bound book of illustrated tales, with a hand opens the book and turns the pages. Each tale starts with its title on the page, accompanied by an illustration with a mysterious caption to draw us in. The Coens’ use this technique to tie the stories together, returning to the book at the end of each to transition to the next. The technique puts the audience in the right mind-set for old-fashioned tales; and it works well as transition, but also lulls the viewer into a comfortable complacency that makes it easier for the Coens to take us by surprise when they upend things.

Since twists and surprises are essential parts of campfire tales, we will reveal few plot details here. All the stories are filled with iconic Western characters and take place in Western settings like dusty frontier towns, dry desert gulches, remote snowy mountains, or the wind-swept open range. The tales are varied, touching on different Western types and themes, and range from humorous to tragic, with plenty of suspense and drama, but all suffused with the Coens’ unique style.

The film begins with a more comic tale drawn from one of the earliest Western movie styles, the singing cowboy. In the title story “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Tim Blake Nelson plays Buster Scruggs, a singing cowboy type dressed all in good-guy white, from his fancy buckskin suit to his big Stetson hat. Strumming his guitar aside a white horse, talkative and affable Buster narrates his own story as he roams from town to town in the dusty desert landscape. Buster is a top-notch singer but he is a crack shot as well, a skill that comes in handy. Fans of O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? know that Nelson has the pipes for this singing cowboy role, as well as a goofy, comic style combined with serious acting chops that serves this story well.

After that strong start, the film follows up with different tone in “Near Algodones,” with James Franco as a would-be bank robber. Other tales feature Zoe Kazan as a woman traveling in a wagon train in “The Gal Who Got Rattled” and Liam Neeson and Harry Melling star in a tale of a traveling show offering entertainment to remote mining camps in the high mountains, titled “Meal Ticket.” Most of the stories have the dark, color-desaturated look of the Coens’ TRUE GRIT, but “All Gold Canyon,” in which Tom Waits plays a prospector, takes place in a color-drenched natural world in which man an intruder. One the most darkly funny tales is the last one, “The Mortal Remains,” an ensemble story of five people traveling together in a stage coach and starring Brendon Gleeson and Tyne Daly among others.

Carter Burwell’s score is perfect, hitting all the right notes for tales of singing cowboys, bank robbers, gunslingers, wagon trains, bounty hunters, and stagecoaches in the old frontier.

The landscapes look classic Western but this Netflix release film is the Coens’ first foray into digital rather than film. Still, Oscar-nominated Director of Photography Bruno Delbonnel (INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, AMELIE) delivers all the outstanding visual fire and artistry one expects from a Coen brothers movie. The film is being released in a few theaters as well as on Netflix. It may have been originally planned as a online-only release but the film is visually powerful enough that seeing it on a big screen is preferable.

Joel and Ethan Coen entertain and engross us just as well with this marvelous collection of unsettling tales as they have with their feature-length stories. This anthology film is not only just as good as those films, it is one of the Coens’ best. THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS opens Friday, Nov. 16, at the Tivoli Theater and on-demand on Netflix.

RATING: 5 out of 5 stars

October 12, 2018

THE OLD MAN & THE GUN – Review

Filed under: Review — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Jim Batts @ 12:26 am

As a seasoned moviegoer (as I trust you are also), when I saw these five words on this new movie’s poster (and later in the actual film’s first frames) alarms went off in my head (not unlike “Spidey-sense”): “This story is mostly true”. First off, many films “inspired by true events”, another warning label, aren’t that compelling and often seem better suited for the small screen. Then there’s that pesky “mostly”, which indicates a certain forced whimsey, maybe even preciousness. Ah, but not to worry. After a few seconds, we spot a most familiar face. Really familiar, due to his still commanding star power, barely dimmed after fifty plus years as a movie leading man (for a couple of decades he truly personified the glitz and glamor of Hollywood). Now many strands of his golden locks have gone grey, and his jaunty clip has slowed a bit. During his publicity stint for this flick, he’s announced that it will be his last film work in front of the cameras (he is an Oscar-winning director, too). Somewhat appropriately the title of his “swan song” is THE OLD MAN & THE GUN.

Indeed, seconds after the above-mentioned preface fades, the story takes us to a small bank at the center of a dusty, tiny Texas town circa 1981. A dapper gentleman (three-piece suit, tie, fedora) enters. Cut to a bank teller hurriedly filling a leather case with cash, then handing it to…let’s call him FT (Robert Redford), in order not to spoil a moniker that will tickle classic movie and TV fans. FT is wearing glasses, a fake bushy mustache, and has an ear piece (a hearing aid, perhaps) with a wire leading down into a coat pocket. As he gets in his car, we learn that the device is attached to a tiny police scanner. FT drives down a dingy alley, switches cars, and speeds to the highway. Ah, the getaway can wait a bit, as FT spots a “damsel in distress”. Actually, it’s a woman having truck trouble. Since he can’t fix the engine problem, FT gives the lady, a widow named Jewel (Sissy Spacek), a lift to a garage. Over pie and coffee at a diner, the two flirt and eventually exchange numbers. Meanwhile, in a nearby town, police detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck) is feeling “burnt out” from “cleaning up messes”. Hunt (clever, eh) has a gorgeous wife and two adorable kids, but he’s in a funk. One morning, on the way to drop the kids of at school, he drops in at his local bank, just minutes after FT has entered. After FT departs, the bank manager announces the robbery and detains the patrons. When his fellow officers arrive, Hunt joins the investigation with a suddenly renewed vigor. Hunt’s main mission is to arrest the “gentleman” robber. Well, it seems that FT has decided to go after bigger banks in cities, so he meets up with his partners, Teddy (Danny Glover) and Waller (Tom Waits). Together they’re plotting the big score. And during their free moments, FT is spending lots of time with Jewel at her tranquil farm and ranch. Could this blossoming romance lead to the other dreaded “r-word”, retirement for FT? Or will Detective Hunt truck him down before the big (perhaps final) bank job?

As you may have guessed, this film is a showcase for the still engaging Mr. Reford. He slips into the title role as if he were easing into a pair of slightly-worn cowboy boots. And even though eighty or so years are deeply etched in that face, RR truly make the being “craggy” attractive. It helps that he wratches up his charm meter well past “11”. He doesn’t resort to big theatrics (no sobbing or ranting), rather he lets his laid-back, easy-going attitude pull us in. Sure he brandishes a weapon on his “jibs”, but we, like the many bank employees, are pretty sure that he’s not going to use it. Still, Redford shows us FT’s conflict as he wonders if he can give up his old “life” to spend his last years, with his likely last love. Truly tough choice since that love is the wonderful Ms. Spacek, who has been busy on TV but much missed on the big screen (at least in a major role). She and Redford engage in a very mature, but still frothy romantic dance. You can feel the heat, from their first meal as they observe and question, prod and verbally poke, across that dingy diner table. They’re a terrific team, as is Redford and Affleck, minus the flirty chemistry and screen time. John Hunt seems barely alive, straining to keep his eyes open while strolling those the petty crime questioning. When FT comes into his orbit, the sleepy cop is jolted awake, dashing home with boxes of evidence and reports, eager to do something important once more. And like FT, he’s inspired rather than conflicted, by his own love mate, the radiant Tika Sumpter as encouraging, no-nonsense Maureen Hunt. Speaking of partners with chemistry, some of the film’s most entertaining scenes are those that with FT’s “guys” (and the ads make it look like he’s a “solo act”). Glover and Waits are “grumpy old men” who bicker and taunt like a long-time married couple but stick together particularly when the news media refers to them as the “over the hill gang”. These crooks have pride, ya’ know?

David Lowery directs his own screenplay (based on the New Yorker article by Davis Grann) with a sure steady hand, letting the dialogue and crime scenes move with a leisurely pace. It’s unhurried, but hardly dull, though an extra ten or fifteen minutes might have stretched the story too thin. It’s quite a change from the strange, dreamy previous two flicks with Affleck (AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS and A GHOST STORY) or his previous work with Redford on the dreary remake of PETE’S DRAGON. There are a couple of clever montages, one with robbery victims nearly telling the same story, and later when FT relates many previous clashes with “John Law” (keen-eyed viewers will spy a vintage bit of film). Late in the film, there’s an effective confrontation scene smartly staged in what seems to be the longest W.C. ever. And though it’s said to be a “swan song”, this is more of a celebration of the enduring Redford. He’s still got “it” (as in that screen something going way back to Clara Bow and others), but doesn’t want to be the last one to leave the “party”. As film finales go, THE OLD MAN & THE GUN is a smooth sweet ride into the sunset for the Sundance Kid.

4 Out of 5

THE OLD MAN & THE GUN opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas

October 3, 2012

Win Passes To See SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS In St. Louis And Minneapolis

Filed under: Contest,Featured Articles,Free Passes,General News — Tags: , , , , , — Melissa Howland @ 4:23 pm

SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS is already gaining a ton of buzz, and WAMG wants you to see it! So, if you live in the St. Louis or Minneapolis area… ENTER NOW!

The ST. LOUIS screening of SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS will be on 10/10 at the AMC ESQUIRE THEATER at 7pm.

The MINNEAPOLIS screening of SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS will be on 10/10 at the AMC SOUTHDALE at 7:30pm.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS OR MINNEAPOLIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. Send an email to  7PsychopathsRSVP@gmail.com

3. In the subject line, write “WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS – ST. LOUIS” or “WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS – MINNEAPOLIS” so we know which area you would like to see the movie in.

4. In the body of the email, please write your First and Last name. That’s it! Simple, huh?

The first 5 responders will each get a pair of tickets. Winners will get a response back through their email to confirm they have won. If you don’t hear back then you haven’t won. Sound good? NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.


Written and Directed by Oscar®-winner Martin McDonagh , the comedy Seven Psychopaths follows a struggling screenwriter (Colin Farrell) who inadvertently becomesentangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends (Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell) kidnap a gangster’s (Woody Harrelson) beloved Shih Tzu.  Co-starring Abbie Cornish, Tom Waits, Olga Kurylenko and Zeljko Ivanek.

Like SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SevenPsychopathsMovie

Follow SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS on Twitter : https://twitter.com/7psychopaths

SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS will be in theaters October 12, 2012 from CBS Films

 

January 15, 2010

Review: THE BOOK OF ELI

Filed under: General News,Review — Tags: , , , , , , — Travis Keune @ 6:15 am

The Hughes Brothers, Albert and Allen, return from a nine year hiatus from feature filmmaking to give us their entry into the post-apocalyptic pool of stories. THE BOOK OF ELI is the Hughes Brothers’ follow up film to FROM HELL, which dates back to 2001. No, THE BOOK OF ELI has nothing to do with FROM HELL, but it does show a certain loosely interpreted fascination the filmmaking siblings have for timely tales of things not fully understood.

THE BOOK OF ELI was written by Gary Whitta, his first feature to be produced, drawing from and reveling in parallels to a very specific body of text. The story has Denzel Washington playing a mysterious wanderer named Eli, walking the country for many years on a path to the west. Carried with him is a book. Eli protects this book at all costs, meeting obstacles along his journey ranging from cannibalistic hijackers to motorcycle-riding bandits.

Despite how the film looks on the surface, THE BOOK OF ELI is not MAD MAX, nor is it THE ROAD of recent release. However, there are some basic thematic elements that it shares with those films. This is to be expected, given all three films deal directly with human life after a catastrophic event that wipes out most of the human race and life in general. There is also a familiar element of classic spaghetti westerns, with Washington serving as a new Man with No Name, except he has a name while dominating his numbered enemies.

The film opens quite slowly and poetically with Eli going about what is construed to be his daily routine. He walks, he hunts, he eats he reads and he sleeps. Eli lives a fairly simple and repetitive life, with the occasional violent encounter thrown in for good measure. This actually sets the pace and tone of THE BOOK OF ELI, which has unfortunately and misleadingly been marketed as an action-packed carnival of carnage. As I mentioned before, MAD MAX this is not. And, for those who have seen THE ROAD, it is not that either. In fact, THE BOOK OF ELI is a great mix of what makes both films enjoyable.

The beauty of THE BOOK OF ELI is in the story and lies in what is read between the lines. The underlying moral of the story will become evident rather quickly, but it’s the adaptation to a contemporary sense of moral ambiguity and a less black and white interpretation of good and evil that make it unique. Eli follows what he believes to be good and right, seeking a place to properly share the message he carries, while a local self-made leader named Carnegie seeks out the very book Eli carries to obtain power and control.

Carnegie, played by Gary Oldman, is a well-read and intelligent man; an older man like Eli, surrounded by the younger and ignorant generation of people born after “the flash” as it is referred in the movie. While Eli lives a life of solitude, Carnegie has surrounded himself by these younger degenerates, using his intellect to manipulate them to his will as he seeks out the sacred book. As always, Gary Oldman is a cinematic treat. Carnegie is portrayed as a less-neurotic, Southern version of Stansfield from LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL with the appeal of a morally corrupt televangelist, interested more in the sinful benefits of instilling faith amongst the sheep he intends to lead.

Mila Kunis plays the young tart Solara, enslaved by Carnegie for her naturally endowed characteristics, while Carnegie holds her blind mother hostage to bend her will in his favor. Kunis is not going to win any awards or garner critical acclaim, but she does the job as the wild card in the struggle between Eli and Carnegie. I have to admit; she is gradually beginning to shed the skin of Jackie from THE 70’s SHOW. Rounding out the cast are Ray Stevenson (PUNISHER: WAR ZONE) as Carnegie’s reliable right-hand man and Michael Gambon (HARRY POTTER) as George. Tom Waits also offers up a second wonderful character performance this year, this time as the town engineer employed by Carnegie within his little growing shanty town of misfits and hooligans.

Aside from the performances from Washington, Oldman and elements of the supporting cast, THE BOOK OF ELI is also rich in production value. Most significantly, the score demands attention. With original music composed by Atticus Ross, from the very opening sequence in the film it serves a powerfully present purpose in the film. Ross has worked with such artists as Bad Religion, Rancid and nine years with Nine Inch Nails, which has clearly had an influence on the score for THE BOOK OF ELI. The cinematography by Don Burgess (SPIDER-MAN, FORREST GUMP) is also worth mentioning as moody and descriptive, but doesn’t match up to the visual storytelling in THE ROAD from Javier Aguirreesarobe.

What stands out visually in THE BOOK OF ELI is the editing by Cindy Mollo. As I mentioned before, this is not an action film, but the scenes that required action and fight choreography are stellar in their effectiveness. Each of the handful of hand-to-hand combat sequences featured in the film are fluid and precise, cutting seamlessly to allow a continuous flow of action without relying on a lingering array of stationary camera shots. One scene in particular during a massive shoot-out features the best editing, giving the impression of one epic continuous shot and greatly enhances the adrenaline of the scene.

Overall, THE BOOK OF ELI is a rather slowly paced film compared to the widely marketed trailer. This is not a negative, but instead a surprising reason to see the film and appreciate it as more than just a big budget buffet of bad guys and explosions. There is an element of convenience and suspension of disbelief that is required, but I have to admit I didn’t recognize it fully until after the movie ended. Be sure to watch THE BOOK OF ELI closely, allow yourself to absorb the subtle intricacies and you’ll leave the theater with a heightened appreciation for the film in some very satisfying and surprising ways.

July 21, 2009

‘Imaginarium’s Latest Still Gallery

Filed under: Adventure,General News,Movie Stills,Movies — Tags: , , , , , , , — Kirk @ 6:14 am

imaginarium header

Just days before Terry Gilliam’s presentation of his latest work, ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,’ this gallery of new stills from the film have been released.  They come to us courtesy of Coming Soon.net. (more…)

April 29, 2008

Scarlett Johansson has a Music Video

Filed under: Movies,Scarlett Jo — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Allison Ritcher @ 2:20 pm

As you all might already know, Scarlett Johansson has recorded an album of Tom Waits covers set to come out on May 20th called “Anywhere I Lay My Head”. Now, I was really skeptical about all of it, especially since the raspy, earthy quality of Tom Waits’ vocals is a large portion of the appeal. Not to say that Scarlett doesn’t have some of that raspy quality to her own voice, but nothin’ beats the real deal.

The news today is, ScarJo (just kidding) has released a music video of one of the singles off of the album for our viewing pleasure … Scarlett singing “falling down” …

Personally, I was unimpressed. I can’t really tell anything about her voice or talent. What do you think? Do we hold out for the rest of the album, or do we condemn her to Jennifer Love-Hewitt/Lindsay Lohan music Hell?? Talk to me…

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